Sports Gossip: Two-Hand Chops, Choke Jobs

More steroid testing in baseball? The head of baseball's union said he won't rule out more stringent steroid testing. Donald Fehr told reporters he wouldn't be surprised if the steroid policy changed before the end of 2006. That's when the current labor agreement will expire.

Currently, players are tested twice in a one-week period each season. Some people have criticized MLB, saying its steroid penalties are too lenient compared to other sports.

My Take: Some fans love seeing the ball get crushed 500 feet. And they don't care if the players are taking steroids. Don't count me among them. Do it the right way, or not at all. What good are the home run and RBI totals if a player had to break the rules to achieve them?

Wade Belak suspended eight gamesIt appears the Colorado Avalanche has become the team to hate in the NHL. League officials suspended Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Wade Belak for eight games, for a two-handed chop to the face of Avalanche defenseman Ossi Vaananen. That happened just two weeks after Colorado's Steve Moore suffered fractured vertebrae in his neck when Vancouver Canuck Todd Bertuzzi hit him from behind.

Belak will lose out on $68,000 US, an amount equal to his salary for eight games. NHL discipline specialist Colin Campbell said Belak used his stick in a dangerous manner, and that will not be tolerated.

My Take: Since the Bertuzzi-Moore incident, tacit acceptance of on-ice violence is a thing of the past. Let us hope that the strong reaction by the NHL as a result is a permanent policy and not a trend. The Leafs will justifiably lose Belak for six regular-season games and two playoff contests.

Trivial MatterFor the second time in six years, a men's college basketball team failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, just one season after going to the Final Four. Marquette was in the 2003 Final Four, but had to settle for the National Invitation Tournament this year. Minnesota was a Final Four team in 1997, and did not make the NCAA tournament in 1998.

Bucs lose Sapp, Johnson & LynchSome of the names that many fans associate with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be on new rosters this season. Warren Sapp wanted to stay with the Bucs, but the team didn't have enough salary cap room to keep him.

Sapp will be an Oakland Raider this season. John Lynch will suit up with the Denver Broncos, after spending 11 years in Tampa Bay. Keyshawn Johnson will be asking the Dallas Cowboys to give him the damn ball this year.

My Take: Getting rid of Johnson was a good move. He's way too preoccupied with himself, and his inability to keep his mouth shut was too much of a distraction. The team deactivated Johnson because of his negative comments. Clearly, Sapp and Lynch were too expensive to keep around any longer. They were key members of the Super Bowl championship team. It might seem that losing these two would hurt the Bucs. However, the team did horribly even with them on the roster, finishing 7-9 in the bid to repeat. There's room to move either upward or downward. My guess is that coach Jon Gruden won't let this ship continue to sink.